Pak speaks out against killing, but says it is hurt by movie

Pakistan on Wednesday condemned the killing of the US Ambassador in Libya during protests against an anti-Islam film but said that the movie had ‘deeply hurt’ the feelings of Pakistanis and Muslims around the world.

‘The government of Pakistan strongly condemns the killing of US Ambassador Christopher Stephen and several other staff members in an attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya,’ Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan said in a statement tonight.

Stevens, 52, and three other American officials died as gunmen protesting over the film fired rocket-propelled grenades at the envoy's car and set fire to the US mission.

President Barack Obama too condemned the killing of the ambassador.

Pakistan also condemned the emergence of a clip from the anti-Muslim film. ‘The government of Pakistan strongly condemns the airing of a defamatory video clip in the US, maligning the revered and pious personality of Prophet Mohammed on the eve of 11 September, 2012,’ spokesman Khan said in a separate statement.

Khan said the emergence of the video at a time when the world was marking the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks had created ‘enmity’ between people of different faiths.

‘Such abominable actions, synchronised with commemoration of atrocious events like 9/11, provoke hatred, discord and enmity within societies and between peoples of various faiths. The event has deeply hurt the feelings of the people of Pakistan and the Muslims all over the world,’ he said. Pakistan is a ‘strong proponent of inter-faith harmony and believes that all manifestations of extremist tendencies must be opposed’, Khan said.

In Afghanistan, Taliban leaders called on people to ‘take revenge’ on Americans.